It is that time of the year when individual face-offs are the hottest trend in town. Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice began the trend and we now find ourselves awaiting a Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi battle up ahead in the Clasico.
The football version of this takes place on Saturday when the world will be partitioned in two halves as Barcelona take on Real Madrid in the best football show of the planet.
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Batman Cristiano Ronaldo takes on Superman Lionel Messi. The similarities are uncanny. Superman is loved by all, especially the kids, and has a variety of superpowers—some things that can be attributed with Lionel Messi.
Batman is just a mortal, but a genius in every sense of the word. He knows his limitation, yet ranks above most superheroes. He is not liked by all, but he couldn’t care less—he does his job and does it pretty damn well.
When these two legends face other in the clash of La Liga giants, the world will be on their seats, ready to witness the spectacle. No matter where you are, your thoughts will be on the match and Sony LIV ensures that you will be able to watch the clash of the La Liga giants from anywhere at your convenience.
In the meantime, let's whet our appetite by comparing the two best players in the world:
Dribbling
Lionel Messi's biggest strength is his close control and floating past opposition defenders. There was once a time when Cristiano Ronaldo would receive the ball on the halfway line and then dribble past opponents to score some ridiculous goals.
That was when he was at Manchester United. Since joining Real Madrid, he has transformed to a box-forward whose finishing is as ruthless as the critics have been on the latest Batman vs Superman movie.
Right now, too, the former Sporting man gets past defenders, but not with the ease with which the Argentine does. Lionel Messi, on the other hand, breezes past the opposition players like a knife goes through butter.
The sight of the Argentine dribbling makes football fans wonder whether he is actually human or not—and that is why he is comparable to Superman.
Finishing
This is an evenly matched contest between the two. So much that one can’t name one of these two with surety. The goals they have scored in the careers have been with so much precision that it is almos impossible to pick one.
However, if we make more segments here, it could be said that Lionel Messi is a better finisher from outside the box while there is none better than the former United winger when it comes to slamming a goal from within the box.
One thing can be said without a doubt, though: the finishing level of both these two is way ahead of anybody in the world of football.
Aerial abilities
The one section where the Portuguese outclasses the former Newell’s boy is the aerial route. Cristiano has a clear height advantage over Messi, which gives him the edge naturally. However, even if you compare Cristiano with players of the same height, he outfoxes them with his insane jumping and heading abilities.
When he jumps, it is as though he floats in the air for an eternity. This ability to linger for a longer period than anyone else makes him one of the best target men in the world.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi might have scored some beauties with the head, but this remains the only weak part of his otherwise perfect game. His low height is a big factor, but this disadvantage is more of a blessing for him as his low center of gravity makes him wonderful in other aspects.
First touch
The first touch can often be the game-changer. Someone with a great first touch outfoxes multiple players without even making a dribble. A great first touch is what gives you the extra yard or two to put the dagger in the heart of the opponents.
Lionel Messi’s first touch is sensational, to say the least. He constantly turns defenders the wrong way with his mesmerizing touch; something that gives him room to make the acceleration during a dribble.
Cristiano Ronaldo, however, has a very good first touch himself, but it isn't the most clever touch. He can bring a crazy ball in control with his first touch, but he can’t squeeze defenders out of their zone with the sleight of the feet. Inside the box, however, his first-touch is almost often a shot towards the goal which, more often than not, hits the net.
Passing
This has always been an undermining aspect of the Portuguese’s game, but a strong weapon in Messi’s arsenal. The Portuguese grew up in an environment where he played with and against kids who were many years his senior and also constantly bullied him.
Hence, he never really cared to pass the people who harassed him. This habit rubs the wrong way on people as they label him selfish—which can be unfair at times. However, in recent years, he makes more attempts to pass, but rarely does he make any jaw-dropping passes.
Growing up in South America and in a friendly environment made Messi more accustomed to passing the ball. And he does it in a ridiculously good way.
Lionel Messi is not just about goals. If he wants, he can dictate the play with his sublime passing and hawk vision. He has made some wonderful assists in his career—a testament to his visionary passing.
Pace
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano can generate some serious pace. However, their running styles are highly contrasting to each other. The Argentine runs with small strides, giving him more agility and flexibility with the ball at his feet.
This type of short-stride running style gives Messi an advantage when dribbling while also highlighting his superb close control. Only he knows how he keeps the ball glued to his feet while running with tiny strides.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, he runs like an athlete—huge strides covering the maximum possible distance at one leap and that has helped him break many sprint records. His style is best suited for a counter-attacking situation where there is a lot of space to run into.
Both of them are quick players – Messi with the ball and Ronaldo with or without. However, the fact that a 31-year-old can still run at unbelievable speed shows us the level of his fitness.
Weaker-foot ability
Cristiano Ronaldo beats the Argentine here. Another weakness in Messi’s game is his right-foot. He has scored some beautiful goals with his right—showing us that his right-foot is accurate—however, it lacks power to make much of a significance in a game.
The Portuguese, however, is a different beast altogether. Be it with his left, right or head, Cristiano generates some unbelievable power. His ambidexterity has outfoxed many defenders, who don't know which side to show him.
It takes repetition to improve your weak foot and being the training machine that Cristiano is, it is no wonder that his left foot is as good as some players' preferred foot. He has scored some blinders with his supposed weaker foot—stuff that even Messi would envy.
So, can Batman Ronaldo overcome Superman Messi? Saturday, we will know it all.
El Clasico Stats
The two superstars have played in numerous Clasico encounters and have been the stamping authority in their teams' wins. Ever since joining Real Madrid, the Portuguese has played in 24 Clasicos, scoring 15 goals—4 of which were from penalties—and assisting just once. He, however, has no hat-tricks to his name in this highly hyped encounter.
Lionel Messi’s stats tread in just about the same waters, except that his assist score is miles better. In the 31 games that he has featured in, he scored 21 goals—4 penalties to his name as well—and produced an astonishing 12 assists. He also has two hat-tricks to his name in the Clasico.
Finally, Messi has seen himself win a bulk of these clashes as he has 15 wins in the 31 games, compared to Ronaldo’s 6 wins in 24 appearances.
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Lionel Messi | |
| Appearances | 24 | 31 |
| Goals | 15 | 21 |
| Penalties | 4 | 4 |
| Assists | 1 | 12 |
| Hat-tricks | 0 | 2 |
| Wins | 6 | 15 |
| Losses | 12 | 9 |
| Draws | 6 | 7 |
